Apprenticeship Programs

On this page:

The San Diego Community College District partners with employers to provide apprenticeship programming across a variety of industry sectors. The District's Educational Services Division supports San Diego City College, Mesa College, Miramar College, and the College of Continuing Education in the management of these programs through a districtwide apprenticeship program management workgroup convened by the District's Career Education and Workforce Development Department.

This district resource page provides information on:

  • Resources and reference materials
  • Districtwide Apprenticeship Program Management Workgroup

Apprenticeship Programs

Employer Sponsor List and Current Programs

College leads for Apprenticeship Programming: 

  • City College: Jesse Lopez
  • Mesa College: Alex Berry
  • Miramar College: Claudia Estrada-Howell 
  • College of Continuing Education: Andrei Lucas (Apprenticeships) and Myesha Jackson (Pre-apprenticeships)

Districtwide Support for Apprenticeship Program Management: Edward Matthews

 
Apprenticeship Program Management Workgroup

This workgroup, established Summer 2021, is focused on process refinement and implementation. Curricular matters are not included. Representatives selected by each institution's Vice President of Instruction based on program management leads, support staff, and availability.

Workgroup Members 2024-25:

The first Districtwide Apprenticeship Program Management workgroup will be in November, 2024. Workgroup members are currently being recruited and this page will be updated once members have solidified.

  • Department of Apprenticeship Standards: Regional DAS representative Victor Rodriguez
  • College representation
    • City College: TBD
    • Mesa College: TBD
    • Miramar College: TBD
    • College of Continuing Education: TBD
  • District representation includes district student services, curriculum, research, and career education and workforce development
  • District ETi: Caron Leiber

Dashboards

Workgroup Meeting Agendas

Districtwide Guidance

Resources and reference materials for developing and managing apprenticeship programs at City College, Mesa College, Miramar College, and the College of Continuing Education. 

Colleges considering growing and/or starting new Apprenticeship Programs should consider the following key roles and responsibilities:

  1. College Lead for Apprenticeship – Designating a lead dean or associate dean along with a specific office to provide college-wide support and coordination for apprenticeship programs can help streamline administrative requirements and ease the process across all departments for exploration, development, and program management.
  2. Committed staffing and support within Admissions and Records – Designating a lead within admissions and records is ideal for ensuring appropriate coding and enrollment of apprentices.
  3. Program Support – Identifying a lead staff member to manage the term-based and annual responsibilities and requirements for apprenticeship programming will help ensure consistent practices across programs and program compliance.
    • This role can also serve as a lead point of contact for employer sponsors, streamlining term-based communication regarding apprenticeship students and approved courses.
    • Additional tasks may include:
      • Management of required documentation
      • Related and Supplemental Instruction (RSI) report validation
      • Communication with admissions and records regarding apprenticeship student enrollments each term
      • Communication with faculty assigned to apprenticeship courses
      • Annual contract management (if applicable)
  4. Student supportincluding counseling and wraparound services. Ideally, there is a designated lead counselor for all apprenticeship students. This individual may be asked to go to the employer’s site and provide information and resources to apprentices, support apprentice academic planning, participate in apprenticeship onboarding and orientation, etc.

Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS)  

DAS contact:

Victor Rodriguez, VRodriguez@dir.ca.gov 

San Diego Field Office, State of California/Dept. of Industrial Relations, Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS)

DAS Website Resources:

DAS Presentations

DAS shared registration and completion data (https://www.dir.ca.gov/das/das_data.html)

  • Registration Dashboard - This shows the number of active registered apprentices, the number of those who are registered in on-the- job training and the number of those in a pre-apprenticeship program. Filter the data by clicking different areas on the dashboard.
  • Completion Dashboard - See this dashboard for the five year completion rate and the number of registered apprentices who have completed their program. The data can be filtered by year, industry or individual program.

 

Pre-Apprenticeship Documents:

CA Apprenticeship Initiative (Foundation for CCC) 

CAI HUB, an online resources designed to provide information and resources for recipients of the CAI and anyone else interested in expanding apprentices hoop opportunities.  

CAI Grants

Statewide resource website - 

Join Listserv: apprenticeshipsupportnetwork@foundationccc.org

CA Apprentice Council  

Apprenticeship Program Registration & Enrollment Process Overview

  1. Student applies through CCCApply.
    • This allows for the student to be Term Activated and ready for enrollment.
    • For noncredit programs, students should apply through SDCCE's application process (they do not need to apply via CCCApply)
  2. Student is manually enrolled in classes by Admissions and Records.
    • Any prerequisites, if applicable, should be cleared prior to enrollment by Counseling.
    • A list of students and classes are provided by the Apprenticeship Office to allow:
      • Admissions to enroll the students manually.
      • Apprenticeship Office must maintain records of employer requested courses and apprentices for each term. The list of students and courses must be clearly communicated to admissions and records each term for manual enrollment
  3. Admissions will:
    • Mark the student as an Apprenticeship student.
      • This occurs through the Equation Variable table.
    • Add the Apprenticeship Service Indicator (A47 Positive Service Indicator) to protect student from "drop-for-non-payment" and for audit purposes
      • Service Indicator is term specific and is removed after the term is over
      • The removal is part of other processes run through District Student Services (no action needed by college).
    • Add the SG21 Work-Based Learning sub-attribute of A1 to the student for the term

 

Required Documentation & Records Management (College/LEA)

For all new and existing Apprenticeship Programs - The following items are required to be held on file by the college/LEA for each Apprenticeship Program:

  1. LEA Letter
  2. Documentation of state authorization
  3. Copy of fully executed agreement between employer and state
  4. Contract/agreement with employer
    • In addition to the formal apprenticeship agreement, some programs require local annual contracts to be signed and submitted to the Board. As of fall 2023, this only applies to City College for BCA and SDG&E.
  5. Employer contact information for program implementation and for billing (if applicable)
  6. Program requirements
  7. Employer Sponsor enrollment requests (by term): List of students by program, by term
  8. Enrollments & Hours (by term): See attendance supporting documentation noted below (required for audit purposes)
  9. Instructor information (tied to hours and terms)
  10. Billing & Invoices (as of fall 2023, only applies to City College for BCA and SDG&E)
    • Recommended template (provided by District Business Services)
    • The following must be provided: enrollment, hours, and instructor information and the starting and ending month of the instructor hours
  11. Attendance supporting documentation (e.g., sign-in sheets, attendance sheets) must be kept at least 3 years from the academic year of the class. 
    • This documentation must support the number of hours recorded in the official attendance roster.
    • For online classes should include login/logout time.
    • REMINDERS:
      • For traditional Apprenticeship Programs that have "SAM Code A" coures: As long as apprenticeship courses are coded correctly, then the class accounting method will be positive attendance and Campus Solutions will allow the required hours to be recorded within Campus Solutions directly.
      • For Apprenticeship Programs that include "non-SAM code A" courses external tracking of hours for positive attendance for apprentices enrolled in the courses must occur; program leads to work with instructors to ensure hours are documented.

 

Employer Sponsors must maintain the following records:

  • LEA Letter: Acknowledgement of educational partner sponsorship of program
  • All Apprentice Communication (Example: What the apprentice should know about the program, etc.)
  • DAS Program Self-Assessment
  • DAS Program Record Keeping Guidance on Apprentice File Compliance Set-up
    • Application into program and results of entry exams or interviews (if any)
    • Signed DAS 1 Apprenticeship Agreement signed by apprentice, the program and DAS
    • Signed acknowledgement of rules and regulations by the apprentice
    • Record of Committee evaluations and apprentice wage advancements
    • Apprentice Evaluations by Employer(s)
    • Tracking of "On-the-Job" (OTJ) training hours by Work Processes
    • Tracking of RSI hours by training curriculum
    • Evidence of grades or test results
    • Record of disciplinary actions to include complaints and/or appeals     
    • Final evaluation and request to DAS for Completion Certificate

 

Being Audit Ready: Annually, our district is audited on a variety of student and instruction services elements. Historically, this has included requests related to apprenticeship. 

Ensuring compliance to the above required documentation will best prepare all programs for potential audit questions. Typical inquiries:

  • Back up documentation to annual reporting (321): Provided by District Office
  • Attendance hours (hours by student, by sections) should be pulled from Campus Solutions; may require college to submit roster and hours tracking documentation
  • RSI contracts

Reporting Guidance : Includes districtwide reporting processes for meeting state reporting requirements. 

2024-25 College Reporting Deadlines

Guidance on Apprenticeship Funding - February 2020 Chancellors Office Memo 20-003

 

Related and Supplemental Instruction (RSI)

  • Current RSI Funding $10.05/hr (as of 2024-25)
  • RSI hours are reported on the Community College’s Districtwide CCFS-321 report
  • When apprentices are enrolled by the college in approved courses (based on employer sponsor requests per term per student), they are “tagged” with a specific code within our internal systems that enables us to report their participation and in-class hours to the state and receive RIS funding
  • Each college receives draft reports throughout the year to verify/validate the hours and enrollments and to ensure we are reporting correctly
  • RSI funding is on a reimbursement basis once per year
  • Rough general timeline (not specific to any one college or district):
    • Jan-May - Inquiry from Chancellor’s Office on Apprenticeship training hours that are now reported through NOVA
    • May-June - Calculation made about what portion of funding goes to each partner
    • July-Sept – Funding should arrive to college
  • Per the CA Apprentice Council Policy on Common Administrative Practices and Treatment of Costs and Practices Related to RSI (2017):
    • Colleges serving as LEAs should:
      • Attend JAC or UAC meetings at least once per year per program sponsor
      • Attend CAC meetings at least once per year
      • Review curriculum as needed
      • Monitor RSI hours from program sponsors
      • Complete other reporting documents on time as requested by CCCCO
      • Provide other educational support and training to the program sponsor as requested
    • Program Sponsors should:
      • Report attendance to their LEA or college on a regular (monthly preferred) basis, to meet CCCCO apportionment deadlines.
      • Ensure that sign-in sheets and/or electronic attendance procedures are in place and auditable
      • Invite LEA’s and colleges to attend JAC or UAC meetings, graduations and other events
      • Provide access to professional development opportunities for instructors to improve their classroom instruction
    • LEA’s, colleges, and program sponsors, working together, should:
      • Ensure that a consistent instructor evaluation process is in place and followed
      • Ensure that a professional development process is in place and followed to improve instructor teaching skills at the discretion of the program
      • Leverage resources to increase apprentice completion rates
      • Review and update curriculum as needed

Apportionment

  • Not all programs may be appropriate for the apportionment funding model. 
  • Each college is responsible for reviewing existing program components, requirements, and employer sponsor agreements to determine whether or not a change in funding model is appropriate. 

 

The funding model is a collaborative decision between the college and the employer sponsor.

Changes in funding model for existing programs should be first confirmed with the Employer Sponsor before implementing (this is required for all construction trades and recommended for all other program areas). Districtwide agreement is not required. 

 

Reference Materials:

This link provides access to a great DAS presentation on the funding of apprenticeship programs.

 

Required Elements:

  • Sponsor list: A list of all apprenticeship programs and employer sponsors, with the inclusion of estimated RSI hours (if applicable)
  • Total RSI funding from the State
  • College names receiving RSI funds and the specific estimated amounts (based on estimated annual RSI hours)
  • Signed, Annual Apprenticeship Program Contracts 
    • As of 2024, there are just two apprenticeship programs that require signed annual contracts: SDG&E, Black Contractor's Association (BCA)
    • These contracts are annual and must be signed by the employer and the college prior to inclusion in the Board Doc
    • Colleges are responsible for all employer communication, contract renewal, and collection of annual signatures

2021 Board Submission for reference

Based on PCAH 7 and current SDCCD curriculum development practices, the instructional component of Apprenticeship Programs may be developed within the following three primary models:

1. Development of all new courses

  1. Course and program development must be accurate and compliant with California Education Code, California Code of Regulations, Title 5, and the current California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) Program and Course Approval Handbook (PCAH).
  2. Courses and programs must be developed in SDCCD systems and approved via the SDCCD curriculum development processes for new programs and new courses.
  3. Institutions may use an existing designator or establish a new designator. New course designators/subject indicators must be approved by CIC.  

 

2. Use of existing courses

  1. The packaging of existing courses into a new apprenticeship program must be accurate and in compliant with California Education Code, California Code of Regulations, Title 5, and the current Chancellor’s Office Program and Course Approval Handbook (PCAH).
  2. Courses must be packaged into certificates and degrees in SDCCD systems and approved via the SDCCD curriculum development process.  
  3. Enrollment is already approved. Existing courses and programs may occur right away. All credit and noncredit courses must be approved via the SDCCD curriculum development process and submitted to the California Community College’s Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) for chaptering. Courses must receive a control number before they may be offered. 

 

3. Use of external instruction (employer or industry content)

  1. Content must be translated into college courses and programs and must be developed within current SDCCD systems.
  2. Institutions may use an existing designator or establish a new designator. New course designators/subject indicators must be approved by CIC.  
  3. Curriculum must be accurate and compliant with California Education Code, California Code of Regulations, Title 5, and the current Chancellor’s Office Program and Course Approval Handbook (PCAH); 
  4. All credit courses must be developed in compliance with Title 5 § 55002.5, Credit Hour Definition.  For purposes of federal financial aid eligibility, a “credit hour” shall be not less than: 
    • One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately 15 weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or 10 to 12 weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
    • at least an equivalent amount of work as required in the paragraph above, of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours. 
  5. All curriculum must be approved via the SDCCD curriculum development process.

All new/revised courses, certificates, and degrees programs must be approved by the college curriculum committee, CIC, the Board of Trustees, Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS), the CCCCO, and the appropriate accrediting agency/agencies.  

 

Degrees and Certificates submitted to the CCCCO must include:

  1. DAS letter of approval;
  2. Estimated RSI hours; and
  3. Labor Market Informatin (LMI) (evidence of need)

 

New or modified apprenticeship programs do not require advisory committee endorsement and do not require regional consortia recommendations.

 

ASCCC 2019 PPT slide on apprenticeshipsprovides helpful overview 

ASCCC Apprenticeships and the Faculty Purview (2018)  

Youth Apprenticeship

  • Workforce Connect - The goal of this organization is to bring awareness and connect people to apprenticeships and mentorships in many different industry sectors. Workforce Connect works closely with high schools (including Charters) in San Diego. Primary Contact: Barry Jantz | barryjantz@gmail.com
  • CA Youth Apprenticeship - DAS - geared toward Opportunity Youth
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